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Relief & Pride

The feeling one gets on finally publishing their first book is a mixture of relief and pride. I recommend it to anyone. If you have the talent, then do it. Finish your book, print off a few copies, and start selling them through your website, local stores, conventions and friends. Believe me, you’ll wonder why you waited so long. It’s like getting a monkey off your back. Your work will never be perfect (in your eyes) – but you will reach a point when you know it is very ‘good’. I reached that point when people began to tell me (& not just my friends & family) to publish my work. I looked at the books that my local bookshop was selling, and could objectively see, without bias, that my work could match (and sometimes exceed) many of the books on the shelves. What was I waiting for?

So I took a deep breath & did it.

For me, it was a relief to complete WITHHELD. A defining moment in my life. Like having my first child. A transformation from the person I was, to the person I became. No matter what else I do from now on, I can always point to the effort of WITHHELD and say “I did that”. This story will always hold a special place in my heart because it gave me a right of passage. My own legitimacy as an author. From now on, I was free to move forward. I had crossed a line and didn’t have to be nervous anymore.

So while I look at WITHHELD and see an old friend, I hope you discover a new one… and perhaps even get inspired enough to write and draw your own.